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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23811529">formula horse girls</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/BearWithAHat/pseuds/BearWithAHat'>BearWithAHat</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Formula 1 RPF</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Anxiety, Falling In Love, Fluff, Friendly Rivalry, Friendship, Getting Together, Horse Girl AU, Horseback Riding, M/M, POV Multiple, Slow Build, as I prefer to call it tbh, barn husbands, equestrian AU, ill be adding tags as this goes on, seb and Kimi are married here uwu, this is my longer self indulgent fic thank you</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-04-24</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-12-08</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-03 01:54:02</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>5</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>16,374</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23811529</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/BearWithAHat/pseuds/BearWithAHat</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>In which Lando finds himself roped into the exciting world of equestrians, Max struggles to come to terms with his feelings for his rival, and Antonio gets way more trouble than he signed up for as a stablehand.</p><p>Or in other words, the Formula One equestrian/horse girl fic the world didn't know it needed.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Daniel Ricciardo/Max Verstappen, Kimi Räikkönen/Sebastian Vettel, Lando Norris/Carlos Sainz Jr, Marcus Ericsson/Antonio Giovinazzi</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>23</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>86</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. The Beginnings</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>First and foremost I've gotta say a big thanks to Quagswagging/bwoahtastic for helping inspire this and also helping me come up with some horse names :3 some of the horses names are also from horses I personally have known, and famous horses in history. the summary sucks ass tbh so I'll try to come up with something better someday</p><p>This is a rather self indulgent fic so if you dont like horses then this may not be your cup of tea</p><p>I should also add that this follows multiple perspectives, the change of which is marked by the page breaks :)</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>     "Look man, I just can't be in this house anymore today. There's been painters in and out of here the whole day, nearly every room is all taped up and shit, and I've been hiding in my room all day because I'm scared of interacting with strangers," Lando babbled nervously over the phone.</p><p>     He knew Max thought it was a bit stupid for him to be so panicked over his family's house being painted, but having a team of strangers in the house was scary and Lando was desperate for a way out.</p><p>     "I'm sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but I'm just about to head out the door, so you're gonna have to stay in your horror house for now I guess," he heard Max reply. </p><p>     "Well can I go with you? If it's somewhere important, I could just sit in your car or something. Anything would be better than being here right now," he pleaded. </p><p>     There was a small silence before he got an answer. </p><p>     "...I guess so. I'll be there in about five minutes. Should I bother knocking on the door, or are you so afraid of the painters that you'd prefer to leave through your window?" Max answered eventually.</p><p>     The mischievous tone of his voice made Lando wonder where he could possibly be going and if it was really a good idea for him to tag along, though his irrational desire to leave made him not think twice about it.</p><p>     "Just honk your horn when you get here," Lando chuckled. </p><p>     After they hung up, he grabbed a pair of shoes and pulled a light jacket over his shoulders. He threw his wallet and his phone into his pockets and peeked out the door to his bedroom to check if there was anyone in the hallway. </p><p>     When he was sure the coast was clear, he hollered to his parents that he was going out with Max in a few minutes, to which he got the standard, "alright honey."</p><p>     Lando sat at his windowsill as he waited to be picked up. The sound of a horn a couple minutes later had him pulling the window open and climbing out as best as he could without scratching himself on his mother's rosebushes. Thank god his room was on the ground floor. </p><p>     In one quick movement he swung the passenger side door of Max's car open and hastily pulled himself into the seat.</p><p>     "So where are we headed?" Lando questioned as he clicked his seatbelt on.</p><p>     Max turned down the radio as he accelerated down the street and simply offered, "to the barn. I'm gonna ride for a bit."</p><p>     Lando felt his mouth go dry and he glanced nervously over at Max. Sure enough, he was dressed in his signature breeches, polo shirt, and riding boots.</p><p>     "Really? You should have told me man," he whined, slumping back into the seat and nervously fidgeting with the zipper on his jacket.</p><p>     Max shrugged and said, "you seemed determined to come. Besides, you don't have to go anywhere near the horses if you don't want to. You can just sit in the car like you said over the phone."</p><p>     The younger man simply sighed and said, "I guess I'll do that. It's better than being cooped up in my room any longer anyways."</p><p>     He was deathly afraid of horses. Even just being around them made him wary, and the thought of riding a horse made him feel like he was going to be sick. There hadn't been any event or accident that triggered his fear, he just thought horses were too big and too dangerous for him to want anything to do with them.</p><p>     Part of Lando felt guilty about not being able to watch Max ride or go to his competitions. He wanted to support his friend and be involved with the sport Max loved so much and put so much time into, but Lando knew that it was a bad idea to combine himself and horses in the same place. At least he would be safe in the car, he figured.</p><p>     They chatted casually for the rest of the drive. Lando looked out the window when Max announced that they were turning onto the property.</p><p>     There wasn't a building in sight at first, just fields of green grass with a few horses here and there among the numerous groves of shady trees. It was very beautiful and peaceful, and Lando almost forgot that he was terrified of the animals that lived there. They passed by multiple riding arenas, some with jump courses set up in them and others without. In the middle of it all was a large barn, and up on a hill not too far away was a pretty little farmhouse.</p><p>     "It's so...<em>scenic </em>," Lando wondered out loud. Max hummed in agreement and turned onto a dirt road that led to the barn and riding arenas. </p><p>     Once they were parked, Max turned to Lando and said, "Hey, I'm serious about you not having to go anywhere near the horses. I know they make you nervous, so if sitting in the car or on a bench somewhere is all you're comfortable with, then that's okay."</p><p>     Lando took a deep breath and smiled at him. "Thanks man, I really appreciate it. It actually looks real nice out here, so maybe I can just sit outside somewhere," he replied. </p><p>     Max grinned back at him and they both exited the car. </p><p>     "Follow me," Max said over his shoulder. Lando did so, and he was led to a set of bleachers overlooking one of the barren riding arenas. Climbing up to the highest step, he heard Max walking away, presumably to go get his horse.</p><p>     He took a seat and examined the area more closely. It was fairly quiet, except for the sounds of people working in the stables. There was a small chicken coop on one side of the barn, with a few of the chickens roaming freely around.</p><p>     So far he hadn't been killed by a horse, so Lando gave himself a small pat on the back for being able to visit Max's barn without freaking out too much.</p><p>     Shortly, Max emerged from the barn with his horse all saddled and ready to go. Lando watched him enter through the gate and lead the tall, dark bay horse to a stool in one corner of the arena. Max clipped his helmet on and threw the reins over his horse's head before stepping up onto the stool and swinging up into the saddle. </p><p>     For the next hour, Lando unexpectedly found himself watching them in a trance. Max and his horse moved together in perfect harmony. They smoothly transitioned between a walk, trot, and canter, along with complex maneuvers which Lando couldn't even begin to guess how long it had taken them to master. Max seemed to effortlessly communicate with his horse; it almost appeared as if he was just sitting there, though Lando knew he was telling the horse what to do every step of the way.</p><p>     It was breathtaking even to his untrained eye. He knew Max was talented, but he hadn't known how damn <em>impressive </em>his riding abilities were. When the pair was done with their patterns, Max loosened his grip on the reins and let his horse stretch. They did a few laps at the walk to cool down before Max halted by the fence closest to Lando.</p><p>     "How are you doing up there?" he called out.</p><p>     "Pretty good. I didn't know you could do all that, it was really cool," Lando said. He gave a thumbs up from where he was sitting.</p><p>     Max dropped his stirrups and dismounted from his horse. He pulled the reins over the horse's head and leaned onto the fence. </p><p>     "Do you want to come meet my horse? I've got a hold on him and there's a fence between you and us, so you don't have much to worry about," Max suggested.</p><p>     Lando nervously swallowed and stood up shakily. He figured he should take the opportunity, given how much Max normally talked about his horse. It would be nice to put a name and face to all the stories he heard, though he was still scared of going near horses.</p><p>     He stopped next to the fence, clutching the top wooden board with one hand. Max's horse pricked its ears and looked at him with friendly brown eyes. </p><p>     "His name is Rembrandt," Max explained, stroking his neck. "Put your hand out with your palm flat like this."</p><p>     Lando slowly uncurled his fist and held it out in the direction of the horse. His mind was yelling at him to stop, but he found the will within himself to try not to let his fears ruin the moment. </p><p>     Rembrandt sniffed his hand, the warm puff of air tickling his palm. The tall horse pushed his nose against his hand and Lando was surprised at how soft and velvety it was. He slowly brushed Rembrandt's nose with the back of his hand, feeling himself begin to smile. There he was, petting a horse, when he normally was too scared to even be around them.</p><p>     "I need to go untack him and get him ready to go back out in the field. It shouldn't take too long, so you can wait here or go to the car if you'd like," Max said. Lando nodded and went to sit on the first step of the metal bleachers. Max led Rembrandt out of the arena and into the barn.</p><p>     Lando whistled to himself as he waited. He closed his eyes and leaned into the cool breeze that gently rustled the trees behind him. If it weren't for the fact that he didn't like horses, he would definitely spend more time out here. It had a peaceful atmosphere, and there was something freeing about having so much open space around.</p><p>     Eventually Max wandered back over to Lando and sat down next to him. </p><p>     "So, did you like it here more than you expected?" he asked.</p><p>     "Yeah, it wasn't as scary as I thought it was going to be," Lando answered. A begrudging feeling settled in his stomach when he saw Max trying to hold back a cheeky grin.</p><p>     'Well in that case..." his friend began softly, "maybe you could start coming around here more often. The best way to get over a fear is to tackle it head on, after all."</p><p>     Lando crossed his arms and shook his head. "Absolutely not. I barely managed to be near your horse today, and that was enough fear-conquering for me," he firmly announced.</p><p>     Max pouted dramatically and put a hand on Lando's shoulder. "Aw come on, man. It would be good for you, plus riding is fun and great exercise. We could be like barn buddies!" he said.</p><p>     "Riding a horse is just too nerve wracking for me. I barely even know anything about them in the first place!" Lando whined back. He knew he probably sounded like a toddler, but he wasn't thinking clearly enough to stop.</p><p>     "Hey, you don't even have to get on a horse for your first couple of lessons. You'd just be practicing grooming and saddling a horse, maybe even just doing some stuff from the ground. You can't live in fear forever, Lando," Max reassured him. </p><p>     He bit his lip and looked down at his lap for a moment. Max did make some good points; it would get him out of the house and more active, and he really would like to get over his fears someday. With a sigh, he made up his mind and turned to face Max again.</p><p>     "Alright, I'll at least do a few lessons. But I have to talk it over with my mum first, though I have a strong feeling she'll say yes," Lando agreed quietly. Max cheered and pulled Lando into a quick hug.</p><p>     The two of them walked back to Max's car, and Lando silently wondered what he was getting himself into on the drive back to their neighborhood.</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p>     Antonio poured a cup of feed into the last of the horses' buckets and wiped the sweat from his face. He had been working since sunrise and it was now sunset, and time to bring the horses in for their dinner. He was gathering their halters and leads when he felt a hand tap his shoulder.</p><p>     "I know you've been hard at work today, but do you have time to talk with me for a minute after you bring the horses in?" Sebastian, his boss and one of the owners of the barn, asked him. </p><p>     Antonio nodded quickly. </p><p>     "Great. I'll be up in the office when you're done," the older man said with a smile. </p><p>     While he led the horses to their respective stalls, Antonio worried about what Seb was going to say to him. His money situation was tight, and he worked nearly full time at the barn for the past two years in exchange for reduced prices for boarding his horse and the occasional riding lesson. Much of his paycheck went into paying those fees, and he frequently found himself worried that he wouldn't be able to afford it any longer or that they would tell him he needed to pay the regular rates. If that happened, Antonio would have to find somewhere cheaper to board or most likely sell his horse. Either of those options would break his heart. He loved the people at the barn, and he loved his horse too much to sell him.</p><p>     The last horse Antonio brought inside was his own horse, a fuzzy sorrel gelding named Biscuit. He wasn't as fancy or shiny as the other horses, and he certainly didn't come with the large price tag or respectable pedigree that the others did, but he was absolutely perfect to Antonio. </p><p>     Biscuit nudged his arm as he unclipped the horse's halter, and Antonio lovingly patted him before leaving the stall and hanging up his halter. The Italian rubbed his tired eyes and took a few deep breaths before climbing the wooden staircase that led to the small upper level of the barn.</p><p>     Pushing the office door open, he found Seb casually sitting at the desk, looking over papers from the filing cabinets next to the desk. </p><p>     “Are you alright? You look upset,” his boss asked, concern evident in his eyes.</p><p>     “I can work more hours if you need me to,” Antonio rushed out, “or I can find a second job to help pay for my board if you need me to pay the full rate.” </p><p>     Seb quirked an eyebrow in confusion and motioned for him to sit down, which he did.</p><p>     “You already work hard enough and long enough, ‘Tonio. And we know money is tight for you, so you don’t need to worry about us charging you anymore than we already do, okay? Your help around here is honestly worth more to us than any amount of money,” Sebastian assured him. </p><p>     Antonio let out a breath he didn’t even realize he had been holding.</p><p>     Seb gave him a comforting pat on the arm and added, “trust me, Kimi and I love you, kid. If you were having trouble paying for your board, we’d help you out.” </p><p>      “Really? I thought Kimi barely tolerated me,” Antonio admitted. Relief rushed through him, and he was rather flattered to hear he was appreciated so much.</p><p>     Seb chuckled, “I suppose he can seem closed off. But privately he talks quite fondly of you, hell I’m pretty sure he’d adopt you if given the chance.”</p><p>     Antonio laughed along with him and suddenly felt a bit stupid for worrying so much earlier.</p><p>     “What I actually wanted to talk to you about was a new stablehand we’re hiring. He’s starting two days from now, and I was wondering if tomorrow you could show him around the place, and just help him out as he’s getting started here,” Seb continued, motioning to the file he had been looking through. </p><p>     “Sure, I would be glad to,” Antonio happily agreed.</p><p>     “Great, that’s settled then. I’ll see you tomorrow kid, you can head on home now,” Seb wished him well. </p><p>     Antonio said goodbye and made his way back down the stairs. He shuffled over to Biscuit’s stall to give him a kiss on the forehead before leaving.</p><p>     He looked over the sleek, more expensive horses that lined the rest of the barn. Sometimes it made him feel embarrassed to know that he was an outlier at the stables. All the other borders were far wealthier than him, and even the lesson ponies owned by Seb and Kimi were more impressive looking than Biscuit. </p><p>     Deep down he knew that even if he could afford a more expensive horse, Biscuit would still be his number one choice.</p>
<hr/><p>     When Lando woke up the next morning, he was greeted with a string of texts from Max.</p><p>     Most were inquiring about if his mother had approved of him attempting some riding lessons, though there were a few calling him some not safe for work names. <br/>
     ‘She said sure,’ Lando typed back. ‘Sorry, I woke up late lol,’ he added after a second.</p><p>     What he didn't include was that his mother had been absolutely ecstatic about the ordeal. She had gushed on for longer than Lando felt was necessary about how good it would be for him to get out of the house more and to be able to do it with his best friend. </p><p>     He set his phone down on the nightstand and pulled himself out of bed. As he was getting dressed, he heard his phone go off again. Lando assumed it was Max responding and stumbled over to check as he shuffled into his pants. </p><p>      ‘YESS it’s time for you to become a horse girl!’ Max has written back, to which Lando rolled his eyes.</p><p>     A second text came through, reading, ‘sooo are you free this afternoon around 14:00?’ </p><p>     Lando wondered what to reply at first. Did he not have anything else planned for the day? Sure. Was he still considering saying he was busy? Absolutely. The nervous side of him desperately wanted to back out, and answering that question was an opportunity to do so.</p><p>     Fortunately his rational (and truthful) side won out, and he responded, ‘yep, I’ve got no plans.’</p><p>     When Max said he would come pick him up, Lando looked at himself in the mirror.</p><p>     “Oh, how the hell did he talk me into this one?” He muttered to his reflection. </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>hmm this chapter wasn't too exciting, but things will start to get rolling in the next one :) my laptop constantly kept autocorrecting Lando to landowners, so if there's a spot where it randomly says landowners, I am so sorry lmaoo.<br/>'formula horse girls' was meant to just be a working title but UGH I couldn't come up with anything better soooo I have chosen to stick with it for now </p><p>as always, you can find me on Tumblr @esteboo-ocon!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. The Swede & the Commoner</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I’m not sure how long this is gonna be so it might end up dragging out for quite a while 😳 I’m having a lot of fun writing this tho so I hope people enjoy it 🥰🥰</p>
<p>if you aren't familiar with the names of different horse colorings, you may want to look them up for this chapter lol!</p>
<p>also I am so sorry that this took a while to update. I ended up working on other fics and then I had some serious writers block and then I lost a good chunk of what I had written due to internet issues :( hopefully the 3rd chapter won't take so long.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>      Antonio walked through the parking lot towards the barn the next morning. He could see his breath in the cool air, and the sun just barely peeked over the horizon.</p>
<p>He pushed the two doors open and found the lights already turned on, presumably by Seb or Kimi.</p>
<p>The horses were just waking up from the night. Antonio looked over them as he tied his hair back.</p>
<p>Looking up, he could see the office lights on. He figured that the new employee was being given an introduction.</p>
<p>“Hey kid,” the gruff voice of Kimi, his other boss and Sebastian’s husband, sounded behind him.</p>
<p>“Good morning Kimi,” Antonio greeted. He felt a warm fuzzy feeling in his chest when he remembered how much the man liked him according to Seb. He wasn’t going to bring it up with Kimi though, for fear of appearing immodest.</p>
<p>“Seb is upstairs talking to the new boy. They should be down here soon, but could you give me a hand with some hay bales for now?” Kimi asked.</p>
<p>Antonio followed him outside to where the hay had been delivered. They hauled the bales inside to the feed room one by one.It was impossible to carry more than one at once; hay bales are a lot heavier and bigger than most people would expect.</p>
<p>As he was carrying the last one in, Antonio tripped over a bucket by the door and narrowly avoided falling over. He winced as he dropped the hay bale and had to awkwardly dance around it to avoid it landing on his foot.</p>
<p>He heard muffled laughter and looked up to see Seb standing a few paces away from him with a tall, blonde young man next to him, who was practically inhaling his own fist in attempt to stop laughing.</p>
<p>“You okay there?” Seb asked, stepping closer.</p>
<p>Antonio blushed deeply in embarrassment, muttering out a , “yes, I just tripped,” in response. Kimi swooped in to take the bale he dropped, and thus not giving Antonio a clear way out of the situation.</p>
<p>“Well in that case, this is Marcus, the new stablehand who’s starting tomorrow,” Seb continued. He gestured to the blonde man standing next to him.</p>
<p>Marcus leaned forward and extended a hand to Antonio. As they shook hands, Antonio couldn’t help but notice the man’s clumsy yet friendly smile and clear blue eyes.</p>
<p>Of course he had to make himself look like a moron in front of a rather pretty new coworker, Antonio taunted himself. He was so wrapped up in his embarrassment that he nearly forgot to respond to Marcus greeting him.</p>
<p>“He’ll show you the ropes today. I think that’s all from me for now, so I’ll leave you guys to it,” Seb ended as Kimi appeared at his side, hugging an arm around his waist.</p>
<p>The couple turned to walk back up to the farmhouse, and Marcus only spoke after they were out of earshot.</p>
<p>“I’m so sorry for laughing at you there, it wasn’t very nice of me to just stand there and laugh,” the young man apologized profusely.</p>
<p>Antonio turned away slightly and tucked back a strand of his hair that had fallen loose.</p>
<p>“It’s okay, it probably did look pretty funny,” he reasoned with him.</p>
<p>An awkward silence settled over them for a moment, and Antonio was about to show him the feed room when Marcus said, “hey uh, I didn’t catch your name?”</p>
<p>     Antonio blinked and nearly forgot his own name. "My name...right, my name is Antonio. It's nice to meet you," he choked out. </p>
<p>     "Since you don't start until tomorrow, just follow me and listen. If you have any questions, just ask," Antonio began. It took all his willpower to move on from their relatively unpleasant introduction and act like he wasn't still cringing from making himself look dumb.</p>
<p>     He led the blonde man into the feed room and gestured to the hay bales, the bins of feed, and the whiteboard hanging up displaying each horses' feed schedule. How many scoops of grain and any vitamins or medications each horse received twice a day was written in Seb's scratchy handwriting. Another board next to it had the week's schedule written on it. Each lesson scheduled and incoming delivery was written with exactly what time it would take place at.</p>
<p>     As he mixed the feed for each horse, Antonio saw Marcus gazing in wonder at the many photos on the back of the door. Pictures of Seb and his horse, Seb and Kimi together, kids in lessons, and older riders holding ribbons and trophies decorated the wooden door.</p>
<p>     "Are there any pictures of you up here?" Marcus asked curiously.</p>
<p>     Antonio shook his head. "I don't compete in shows, so no. I'm a bit too boring to be up there I'm afraid," he chuckled. </p>
<p>     As he picked up the first cup of feed and went to dump it in it's respective horse's bucket, he heard Marcus eagerly say, "I'm sure you're not boring," and Antonio bit his lip and felt his cheeks flush. The young man made him feel everything from embarrassed to flattered, and Antonio had only known him for a grand total of ten minutes. </p>
<p>     Marcus seemed very friendly and very nice to look at, but that was a problem to sort out later, Antonio told himself. He tucked away his internal conflicts and introduced Marcus to each of the horses after he gave them their breakfast.</p>
<p>     "Moe, Scooter, and Missie belong to Seb and Kimi. They're lesson horses who carry the young kids and beginners," he said, "the tall chestnut next to Missie is called Charlemagne. He's Sebastion's horse, you probably saw him in some of the pictures on the door."</p>
<p>     Marcus nodded, and looked at each of the horses critically, as if he wanted to commit each name to memory. </p>
<p>     "Does Kimi ride too?" Marcus questioned.</p>
<p>     "No, he's allergic to the horses. He comes down to the barn to make repairs and help with some of the heavy lifting tasks, but other than that he has to keep his distance," Antonio said. He moved a couple paces down the aisle way to show him the next few horses.</p>
<p>     "All of these guys belong to boarders. You'll meet them all eventually. The black mare is Pluto and the chestnut with the star on his head next to her is Clipper. Their owners compete in hunter classes, and you'll probably see them together a lot," he went on, "these next two are eventers. The buckskin is named Ribot and the paint horse next to him is Frankel. The dark bay is Rembrandt and the gray is Winx. They're sort of the dressage and show jumping stars around here."</p>
<p>     Antonio smiled when they reached the last horse of the row. "This is Biscuit, he belongs to me," he said. Biscuit raised his head from his feed bin to let Antonio scratch his forehead, and the Italian smiled at the low whinny he got in response.</p>
<p>     "I think I can remember all that," Marcus nodded confidently.</p>
<p>     "Good. After they're done eating, they go outside in the fields. It's still pretty cold out so we have to put their blankets on before they go out," Antonio said. </p>
<p>     Next, he lead Marcus to the tack room and showed him the rows of saddles, blankets, and other riding equipment. Saddle soap and leather conditioner sat in a cabinet near the bridles that hung on the wall, which he was sure to point out.</p>
<p>     "It's not something we're required to do, but boarders often will ask me to clean their tack after they ride. If they ask you to do it, everything you'll need is up there," he had explained</p>
<p>     The next few hours went by with Antonio carrying out his normal duties of taking the horses out and cleaning around the barn, with Marcus trailing behind him like a lost puppy. Antonio didn't mind, he had agreed to show him around after all, though they didn't talk much save for the occasional question and answer. </p>
<p>      They carried on as such until about noon, when Marcus had to leave. Antonio was sure to explain to him the evening procedures that he would miss, and the Swede thanked him profusely on his way out.</p>
<p>     Antonio had to help out with the upcoming lessons, and he did his best to push Marcus out of his mind to focus on what Seb needed him to do, whether it be leading lesson horses or helping a kid put their saddle on correctly.</p>
<p> </p><hr/>
<p>     An hour before Max was supposed to pick him up, Lando was laying on his bed and having a little bit of a freak out moment. Was he really going to willingly go to a barn and like, <em>interact with horses? </em>The idea didn't even sound real to him, to be honest. Was it too late to back out? He could probably come up with a convincing fake illness or injury to make it seem like he wasn't flaking.</p>
<p>     Lando's intrusive thoughts were interrupted by a knock at the door. He shuffled out of his room and opened the door, surprised to see Max standing in front of him.</p>
<p>     "You're like, an hour early," Lando said in a questioning voice as he let Max inside.</p>
<p>     "I know. I figured that you'd need some encouragement for today, so I thought I'd come by and keep you from getting a last minute mystery illness that prevents you from going," Max said with a shrug of the shoulders. Truly he knew him too well, Lando thought.</p>
<p>     “Umm alright then. You want a drink or something?” Lando asked, leading him into the kitchen.      </p>
<p>     “No thanks, I’m alright. So how nervous are you?” Max asked with a grin. The Dutchman sat down in one of the chairs at the dinner table while Lando hopped up to sit on the counter. </p>
<p>     “My insides have been flipping around for a while now, but I think I can do this,” Lando answered with a shaky nod. </p>
<p>     Max gave a response of confident finger guns and responded, “hey that’s good. I’m sure you’ll find that there’s nothing to worry about, you’re not gonna have to get on a horse today.” </p>
<p>      Lando rubbed his hands together and nodded again. He was ready to get over his fears, even if they seemed insurmountable to him at the moment.</p>
<p>     “Let’s stop talking about me being scared, that’s just gonna make it worse for me. What are the people at your barn like?” He changed the subject of the conversation.</p>
<p>     “They’re...something else. The stable boy is really nice, and the couple that owns the barn is too. The other boarders are pretty interesting though,” Max chuckled. </p>
<p>     “Are they like, mean?” Lando asked, biting his lip. He hoped to god he wouldn’t have to potentially face being made fun of. </p>
<p>     “No, no none of them are mean. There’s one guy, Charles, who is a bit catty though. He seems to think he’s some queen of society, he just floats around the place like he’s royalty. Maybe keep your distance from him, I don’t think you would like him a lot,” Max reassured him.</p>
<p>     Lando wondered about the man in question. Was he actually as bad as Max described him, or did Max just not like him?</p>
<p>     “Then there’s his friend Pierre, who normally trails after him wherever he goes. He’s a pretty nice guy, I don’t know him that well though since normally I avoid Charles,” Max continued. </p>
<p>     "Is there anyone else I should avoid?" Lando asked somewhat incredulously.</p>
<p>     Max shook his head, "nope, I'm sure you'll get on just fine."</p>
<p>     Lando looked over Max. His friend was dressed to ride, in a similar getup to what Lando had seen him in the previous day.</p>
<p>     "Er, what exactly am I supposed to wear? I don't have those fancy pants or boots like you do.." he asked. Jeans and a t-shirt made up his outfit for the day, certainly not half as expensive as what Max had on.</p>
<p>     "What you've got on now is fine as long as you don't mind it getting a bit dusty. Do you have boots of some sort to wear?" Max responded.</p>
<p>     Lando only had rain boots, but he figured it would work better than nothing. </p>
<p>     The two friends talked for a while until Max decided it was time to leave. Lando sighed nervously and followed him out to his car as he had the day before.</p>
<p>     It was fairly quiet on the drive over, with Lando pretending that he wasn't on his way to confront a deep-rooted fear of his. Things went by fairly quickly to his surprise though.</p>
<p>     He was introduced to the owner and trainer of the barn, along with the shy Italian stablehand who was kind enough to stand by Lando for the entirety of his lesson. Lando used the term 'lesson' loosely, there was absolutely no riding of horses or even the thought of riding horses.</p>
<p>     Instead, he was introduced to a sweet old stallion called Moe. Antonio led Moe into the aisle of the barn where Lando stood with Max and Sebastian. The stablehand kept a hold of the lead as Seb encouraged Lando to let Moe sniff his hand.</p>
<p>     "He's a very gentle guy. Doesn't even have the energy to be mean," Sebastian warmly told him. Lando slowly placed his hand on the horse's neck and rubbed his soft coat. Moe let out a breath and closed his eyes as Lando patted him, and the young Brit felt himself lose some of the tension he had been carrying in his shoulders. </p>
<p>     He found that he was beginning to enjoy patting the old horse. So far he had stood close to the animal and touched him without being hurt or attacked, which was a personal best for him.</p>
<p>     "See Lando? You're already making good progress," Max cooed from where he leaned against the wall. Lando glared at his friend who was beaming like a proud mother. </p>
<p>     "I'm gonna go ride now if you don't need me here. You've got it man, you just gotta keep being brave and believing in yourself," Max whistled, skipping down the aisle as Seb shooed him away.</p>
<p>     "Are you feeling better about being near a horse? Max told me over the phone how nervous you were to even be at a barn, and here you are patting a horse now," Sebastian asked him in a tone of voice that Lando got the feeling was normally meant for little kids. To be fair, he both looked and felt like a little kid, with his ducky print rain boots and having been on the verge of tears when he had first entered.</p>
<p>     "Yeah, it doesn't feel as much like I'm going to be stampeded to death," responded Lando, smiling and patting Moe's shoulder. </p>
<p>     Seb nodded enthusiastically and turned to pick up a box of brushes. "Would you like to learn how to groom a horse next?" he asked, to which Lando agreed. </p>
<p>     Horse care turned out to be a lot more complex than Lando ever thought it could be. He had just assumed that you brushed the dust and grime off of them and that was it. However, he was shown all the different brushes and tools that went into keeping the horses clean, and Sebastian thoroughly explained each of their functions and how to use it. </p>
<p>     Lando put his newfound knowledge to the test afterwards. He started with a rubber curry comb, to loosen dirt and hair as Seb had explained, followed by a stiff brush to knock said dirt off. With a metal comb, he brushed Moe's wiry mane and pulled any knots loose. A regular looking hairbrush was in the grooming box too, which he used after the metal comb. A soft brush to remove finer dust particles, a sponge to wipe the horse's eyes and nostrils, and a layer of some spray from a bottle to keep flies away polished the task off.</p>
<p>     Moe looked shiny and clean when he was done, and Seb complimented him on doing a fine job. The only thing Lando didn't have to do was pick the dirt out of the horse's hooves, as Seb had elected to do that himself. That was fine with Lando; he wasn't quite sure he had the courage to pick up a horse's leg quite yet.</p>
<p>     By the time his lesson was finished, Lando felt much more at ease around the quiet old horse. He even led Moe back out to the pasture, with Antonio walking beside him. </p>
<p>     "Hey, I just wanted to say thank you for putting up with me today. I know it probably seems stupid to be so afraid of horses for no reason, but having someone hold the horse made it easier for me," Lando admitted to the Italian after Moe was put back in the field. He truly did feel a bit embarrassed at being a (albeit barely) grown adult who was so terrified of horses.</p>
<p>     "Oh, it's nothing. I enjoyed getting to just stand around for a bit, it was a nice break in a very busy day for me. And never be ashamed of your fears. We all get scared of things, no? All that matters is how we choose to handle it, and you're choosing to face yours instead of running from it," Antonio gently expressed, giving him an angelic smile.</p>
<p>     Lando chuckled and nodded, deciding not to say anything about how far from the truth that was. It hadn't been him to decide to face his fears, it was more like Max had decided for him. Speaking of Max, the Dutchman was still nowhere to be seen as they reached the barn.</p>
<p>     "Do you know where Max is?" Lando asked, looking around for his friend. </p>
<p>     "Probably in one of the dressage arenas. I'd imagine he'll be finished soon, you can wait in here if you'd like," Antonio called over his shoulder as he left to resume his busy schedule. </p>
<p>     Lando found himself alone in the barn aisle. All the horses were outside, either in the fields or being ridden. He twiddled his thumbs and looked around, peeking into the stalls. He examined a wash stall, as it had been called by Max and Seb, which contained a rubber floor mat, a drain, a hose, and things for bathing horses with. </p>
<p>     The sound of horseshoes on the pavement and light footfalls had him turning around, expecting to see Max with Rembrandt. Luckily he didn't say some stupid joke, because the person in front of him was definitely not Max.</p>
<p>     A slim-waisted boy with pouty lips, impressively clear skin, and soft-looking brown hair stood with a hand on his hip and the reins of a looming black horse in the other. The horse looked like it cost more than everything Lando owned, as did the gleaming black leather saddle and bridle. The boy himself was dressed very sharply too, not a speck of dirt on his gleaming white breeches, making Lando self conscious of his rain boots and faded jeans again. </p>
<p>     "Hi, honey, I need Pluto to be hosed down. She's very hot after our practice today," he purred in a rather geographically ambiguous accent. A perfectly manicured hand was thrust in Lando's direction, and he hesitantly shook it, taken aback by the soft skin and smell of rosy perfume. </p>
<p>     "You want me to do...what?" Lando stuttered in confusion. The stranger frowned at him, lipgloss shimmering in the light, and he handed the reins to Lando who gulped nervously at being at the mercy of the muscular horse.</p>
<p>     "My horse needs to be bathed with the hose. She's hot. I would do it myself but I don't want to mess up my mascara. It's not waterproof," the boy explained like it was obvious. </p>
<p>     Lando was at a loss for words, emitting a weird coughing sound instead of a verbal response. He thanked his lucky stars when Antonio came around the corner and stepped between them, taking the horse from Lando's shaky hands.</p>
<p>     "I will rinse Pluto off, Charles. This is a student, he doesn't work here," the Italian said curtly. Even when annoyed, Antonio managed to be polite and dignified, Lando noted.</p>
<p>     The boy, Charles, who Max apparently couldn't stand, stood with an innocent smile and a shrug of his shoulders. "Sorry, I thought he was that new stablehand I heard Seb mention. You can't blame me for making that mistake, after all he is dressed so...commonly," Charles said smoothly. His gaze raked up Lando's figure, and Lando looked down at the ground to hide his embarrassment. </p>
<p>     Lando muttered an awkward goodbye and speed-walked out of the barn, heading over to the parking lot and leaning against Max's car. </p>
<p>     It was only a few minutes later when Max came out of the barn, waving and immediately asking him a bunch of questions.</p>
<p>     "How'd it go? Did you like it? Are you gonna try riding sometime?" Max babbled as they pulled out of the lot. His friend's excitement about having a friend potentially join him at the barn more frequently brought a grin to Lando's face.</p>
<p>     "Surprisingly, I really enjoyed it. I was still a bit nervous, but I think I'd like to keep on learning. Maybe riding is in the future but for now I'm good with practicing the basics," he answered, genuinely excited to work with Moe some more.</p>
<p>     "That's awesome, man. Did you like Antonio and Seb?" Max continued as they drove.</p>
<p>     Lando casually replied with, "yeah, they were both very nice." </p>
<p>     A silence passed before he added, "...I met that Charles guy you were talking about. He does seem quite interesting. He wanted me to bathe his horse because he thought I worked there and he didn't want to mess up his mascara."</p>
<p>     Max let out an offended huff. "Of course he did. See what I mean? The guy is a total princess," the Dutchman muttered. </p>
<p>     "He also said I dress like a commoner, or something, which isn't entirely wrong," Lando joked. </p>
<p>     A plan seemed to be forming in his friend's head as Max didn't immediately respond, staring intently at the road.</p>
<p>     "Well, we can't have you showing up looking like a 'commoner' again then can we?" asked Max in a singsong voice. Lando rolled his eyes though he didn't know what was coming next. </p>
<p>     "Max, just spit it out. What are you going to make me do now?" he sighed as they turned into their neighborhood.</p>
<p>     Briefly glancing at him with a confident look, Max answered, "you're coming with me to the tack shop over the weekend and we're getting you nicer boots and some pairs of riding pants."</p>
<p>     Lando resigned himself to his fate, knowing there was no way Max would let him skip out on the proposed trip. He had been sucked into the world of horses, and there was no escaping for him now.</p><hr/>
<p>     The last thing Antonio needed was another slap in the face from life. So far he had made himself look like a moron in front of his new coworker, nearly fallen off his horse earlier, and barely put up with Charles passive aggressively insulting him without crying. </p>
<p>     When his car wouldn't start as he was trying to leave for the day, Antonio let out a frustrated groan and buried his head in his hands. For a moment he just sat there, letting himself feel frustrated and on the verge of crying again. It just wasn't his day. After trying to start his car once again to no avail, Antonio stepped out and shut the door, kicking the ground as he tried to think of what to do.</p>
<p>     It was nearly pitch black outside, the sun having gone down quickly as he finished up with his work. It was freezing outside, he was sore and hungry and just wanted to get home. </p>
<p>     Walking home was absolutely not a reasonable choice. God knew how long that would take, plus he was not about to risk coming face to face with the bears that lived in the area and were sometimes seen at night. </p>
<p>     His relief came in the form of Seb leaving the barn for the night, and calling out to Antonio as he was just about to try calling a repairman.</p>
<p>     "Hey kid, are you leaving for the night?" the German asked.</p>
<p>     "I was going to but my car won't start, and I can't get my phone to work," he answered. He wiped his face with his forearm to hide the tears that he hadn't even realized were falling down his cheeks.</p>
<p>     Seb approached him, concern evident in his facial expression, and he wrapped an arm comfortingly around Antonio. "Shh, it's alright. You can spend the night with us. We've got a spare bedroom, and Kimi is making dinner," he said, pulling Antonio with him as he made his way up the long driveway to the farmhouse.</p>
<p>     "Are you sure? I wouldn't want to intrude or anything," Antonio sniffled as they walked up the hill.</p>
<p>     "Of course. We'll call a repairman tomorrow morning; it's too cold and dreary for you to be out here any longer," Seb reassured him with a pat on the shoulder. </p>
<p>     Antonio gazed up at the cheery exterior of the house, illuminated by the lights on the porch. He had never actually been inside the house despite working at the barn for quite a while. Seb led him inside, and the interior was just as cozy looking as the outside. It looked thoroughly lived in, with scuff marks on the wooden floors and pictures on the walls. </p>
<p>     In the kitchen, Kimi was focused on stirring a pot on the stove. Sebastian hugged him from behind, and Antonio felt like he was a third wheel in that moment even though he had been invited in.</p>
<p>     "'Tonio is staying with us tonight. He was having some trouble with his car," Seb murmured to Kimi, who immediately made his husband take over in the kitchen so he could rush over to Antonio.</p>
<p>     "Come on kid, let's get you warmed up," the Finn said, leading Antonio over to the couch in their sitting room and waiting expectantly for him to sit. Antonio sank down on the cushions, and was a bit surprised when Kimi pulled a thick blanket from off a chair. He wrapped it around Antonio's shoulders and pushed a cushion behind his back.</p>
<p>     Antonio felt a bit better from being fussed over and the warm blanket surrounding him. Seeing Kimi be so motherly was not what he had expected from the man, who was normally rather stoic. </p>
<p>     "I'll go make you some tea," Kimi said decidedly. He marched back to the kitchen before Antonio could say anything. When he returned a few minutes later, he placed a mug on the end table beside Antonio. Seb followed him into the room with a tray, holding three bowls on top of it.</p>
<p>     A bowl of soup was thrust into Antonio's hands, and the Italian gratefully took it. Kimi sat next to him and Seb settled onto the armchair in the corner of the room. The three of them ate quietly, a familial atmosphere settling over the room. </p>
<p>     Antonio had finished the soup and was taking a sip from the mug of tea when Seb spoke up.</p>
<p>     "So, did Marcus seem to understand everything today?" he asked.</p>
<p>     "Yeah, he asked a lot of questions but he seemed to pick up on everything. I'm sure he'll do fine tomorrow," Antonio answered. He felt very warm and cozy, and it made him feel much more hopeful about the next day than he had before.</p>
<p>     "And was he good to you? You know if he gives you any trouble that I will personally give him a stern talking to," Kimi followed up, in a dead serious tone that let Antonio knew he was <em>not </em>bluffing.</p>
<p>     "I don't think that will be a problem, he was very friendly. I think I will like working with him," Antonio decided quietly. He set the empty mug down and pulled the blanket a little tighter around himself. </p>
<p>     "Good," Kimi simply said. Sebastian got up to clear the dishes out of the room, and Kimi dutifully went to make sure there were sheets on the guest room bed.</p>
<p>     When Sebastian came back into the sitting room, he sat down next to Antonio and rubbed his back soothingly. </p>
<p>     "Feeling better?" he asked, to which Antonio nodded and leaned against his shoulder. </p>
<p>     Sebastian let out a hum of laughter and said, "I told you Kimi loves you, kid. Hell, so do I."</p>
<p>     "Thank you," Antonio whispered, "not just for letting me stay with you, for everything. You guys have been very good to me and I love working here."</p>
<p>     He heard Seb whisper a <em>you're welcome </em>as Kimi appeared in front of them again, assuring him that there were sheets on the guest room bed and that he was welcome to go to sleep whenever he felt ready to.</p>
<p>     "I left a pair of night clothes for you in there too," the Finn added, "Seb and I usually turn in for the night about now, so I'll see you in the morning. The guest room is right across the hall from us, so we're not too far away if you need anything. Get a good rest, kid." </p>
<p>     The couple disappeared into their bedroom as Antonio shrugged the blanket off. He gathered it up into his arms and carried it into the room across the hall from Seb and Kimi's room. A large bed sat in the middle of the room, with the headboard against the wall and a nightstand on either side. A dresser stood across the room from the bed and a mirror stood in the corner. A pretty painting of horses in a field hung on the wall above the bed.</p>
<p>     It felt welcoming and Antonio felt more at home here than he did in the cramped apartment he could barely afford. He changed into the clothes Kimi had set out for him and climbed underneath the sheets, spreading the blanket over the top layer of sheets.</p>
<p>     Antonio drifted off into a deep sleep, feeling more loved and appreciated than he had in months.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I live for mother hen Kimi thank you very much.</p>
<p>Im considering having Antonio move in with them later in the story since uhh the chosen family vibes are absolutely adorable and wholesome?? idk though.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Butterflies</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I feel like it takes so long for me to write this fic for some reason oml :&gt;<br/>this is so much fun to write tho!! hope you enjoy :^)</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>     Antonio’s first thought when he woke up early next morning was of how much softer the bed he was sleeping on felt than he was accustomed to. Sitting up and stretching, he looked around the room and remembered that he had spent the night with Seb and Kimi.</p><p>     He only had the clothes he wore yesterday, so he was resigned to wear them again. Fortunately they were still relatively clean.</p><p>     When he stepped out of the bedroom, Antonio was flattered to find that Kimi had bothered to make pancakes for him. As he ate the breakfast made for him, Sebastian sat across the table, drinking a cup of coffee and writing dates onto a calendar.</p><p>     "I can't believe it's almost show season already. I'll have to ask everyone what competitions they want to go to, but I'm including all the local and regional ones on the calendar just to be safe," Seb said as he quickly scrawled numbers down.</p><p>     Kimi was washing dishes a couple yards away, and he hummed along to his husband thinking out loud about the upcoming horse show season.</p><p>     "Are you going to compete at all this year?" Antonio asked him as he finished the pancakes. </p><p>     Seb shook his head and said, "No, probably not. I'm afraid old Charlemagne is past his showing days. Jumping is just a bit too tiring for his knees nowadays," with a sad smile.</p><p>     Antonio knew Seb had an accomplished past in the world of showjumping. He had unofficially retired in the past few years, with his horse getting older and Seb not wanting to hurt him.</p><p>     "Maybe you guys could try some pleasure classes, if you miss riding competitively," Antonio offered. Seb nodded and was quiet for a moment, deep in thought, and hopefully considering the idea.</p><p>     "It's been a while since I've done anything more than just taking him for some long walks. You're right though, I do miss competing," Seb said, flipping the calendar shut and taking a long sip of his drink.</p><p>     Kimi shut off the sink and dried his hands before coming to sit at the table with him. The Finn took his husband's hand into his own and said, "Sebby, you should do what Antonio said, just enter him in some simple flat classes. I cough my lungs out every time I go near the damn animals but even I miss watching you compete."</p><p>     Seb smiled and kissed Kimi's cheek. "I guess I'll mark some down on the calendar then. In the meantime, Antonio, would you take Charlemagne on one of the trails today? He'll need to get back into shape if we are going to start competing again," he asked the young man.</p><p>     Antonio eagerly nodded. It wasn't rare that Seb asked him to hop on a horse to give it some exercise, but he had only ridden his boss' horse a few times. </p><p>     "Thanks kid. Jog him for a bit so he can stretch his legs. Are you ready to head down to the barn and get the day started?" Seb continued.</p><p>     With that, Antonio followed him down the lawn and to the barn. He was sure to call a repair service to check on his car, which was still sitting in the lot. Another car pulled into the lot as he was getting off the phone, and he recognized the blonde hair and friendly smile of Marcus walking up to him.</p><p>     "Sorry I was a few minutes late," the Swede said in a hurry, walking into the barn alongside Antonio and following him into the feed room.</p><p>     "That's alright, Seb and I just got down here anyway," Antonio reassured him as they prepared the horses' feed. Seb meanwhile was looking over the schedule of lessons for the day, then proceeding to march outside to set up jumps and obstacles in the different arenas.</p><p>     The morning passed with Marcus and Antonio working along in harmony. They fed horses and turned them out into the field, fed the chickens and gathered eggs, cleaned stalls and refilled water buckets, and Antonio helped lead horses for Seb during younger kids lessons.</p><p>     It was around noon when Antonio took a short break, grabbing a water bottle from a mini fridge in the feed room and leaning against the wall in the aisle way.</p><p>     Marcus was sweeping stray bits of hay and dust that had accumulated in the aisle, and Antonio curiously watched the Swede. His cheeks were flushed from the physical work and a few strands of his hair had fallen out of place. Antonio would have been lying if he said the slightly-sweaty-and-out-of-breath look didn't look good on Marcus, though he wasn't going to say it aloud.</p><p>     He only became aware that he was staring when Marcus met his gaze and smiled up at him. He tucked the broom under his arm and asked, "what else do we need to do now?"</p><p>     "We've finished all of the morning chores. All of the kids lessons are done too, only the more advanced riders are left, which we don't need to help with except for cooling down horses and cleaning tack if they ask us to. Things are a little less hectic for us until the evening, normally this is the time where I ride my horse or do things like clean brushes or saddles. There's always something to be done on a farm," Antonio said. </p><p>     "There's some drinks in the feed room if you want one," he added, watching Marcus wipe off hair that was sticking to his forehead.</p><p>     "Yeah, I could use some water," Marcus said with a smile. He slipped into the feed room for a second, and returned with a water bottle in hand, standing next to Antonio and taking a long swallow of water.</p><p>     The Italian didn't know what to say at first. It was the first time he had worked with a coworker; he was used to being on his own during breaks and sitting quietly.</p><p>     "So do you ride horses too?" he asked after a silent minute went by.</p><p>     Marcus shook his head. "I used to, but I haven't in a while. I miss riding and just being around horses in general, which is why I wanted to work here," he stated with the same sad smile Seb had given him earlier.</p><p>     Antonio nodded and thought for a second. An idea came to him, and he hoped he wasn't being too forward when he turned to Marcus and said, "Sebastian wants me to take his horse on one of the trails around here to give him some exercise. Do you want to come with me? You could ride my horse."</p><p>     Marcus' eyes lit up and he eagerly responded with, "really? I'd love to. I don't have a helmet or anything though."</p><p>     "We have some spare helmets in the tack room for people who don't have their own. I could grab one of them for you," Antonio offered, to which Marcus agreed. It was settled then, and they let themselves cool down for a few more minutes before grabbing Biscuit and Charlemagne's halters and going to get them from the fields.</p><p>     Biscuit came cantering up to the gate when Antonio let out a low whistle, and he smiled and patted his horse's velvety nose. Marcus had no trouble clipping his halter on, though Biscuit did seem taken aback when it wasn't Antonio who was leading him out of the field.</p><p>     Instead he strode over to the tall chestnut horse who had won many shows and titles with Seb.</p><p>     Charlemagne lifted his head and curiously nosed Antonio's pockets as Antonio slipped his halter on, stroking his neck and then leading him to where Marcus waited with Biscuit.</p><p>     "Do you need me to help you get his saddle on or do you remember how to do it?" he questioned as they led the two horses into the aisle of the barn.</p><p>     "I think I remember how to do everything. If something looks wrong then you can fix it and make fun of me," he heard the Swede laugh. </p><p>     They clipped the horses into the cross ties in the aisle way. Antonio set out a box of brushes for them to share, and they quickly brushed each horse down. Charlemagne rested his weight on a hind leg and let his head hang as Antonio brushed the long expanse of his back. He was still in rather good shape for a horse in his twenties, thanks to Seb's great care and love.</p><p>     Biscuit seemed to like Marcus, Antonio noticed. The small sorrel horse affectionately nosed at the other man's shoulder and stood still for him. </p><p>    After the horses were clean, Marcus and Antonio fetched their respective saddles, bridles, girths, and saddle pads, and Antonio was sure to grab his own helmet and a spare one for Marcus. He delicately placed the saddle on Charlemagne's back once the saddle pads were in place, and he made quick worth of tightening up the girth. </p><p>     Looking over, he saw Marcus doing the same to his horse. Antonio stepped over to check the saddle on Biscuit, pleased to find put on correctly.</p><p>     "Looks good," Antonio remarked before stepping back over to Seb's horse. He unclipped the cross ties and replaced the leather halter with the bridle, praising the horse when he eagerly took the bit into his mouth.</p><p>     Antonio searched his pockets for a hair tie, tying his long hair back before putting his helmet on. It was a bit uncomfortable to leave his hair down when he rode, as the straps of the helmet left it pressed awkwardly against his neck if he didn't tie it back.</p><p>     Once they were both ready, they led the horses outside and over to a mounting block that was left outside one of the riding arenas.</p><p>     Antonio held Biscuit’s bridle while Marcus mounted and picked up his stirrups. Biscuit stood quietly as Antonio got on Charlemagne, and the Italian felt a little pride at how well behaved his horse was. </p><p>     “Thank you for letting me come with you, and especially for letting me ride your horse,” Marcus warmly thanked him as they walked down the side of the dirt road, towards the forests that were nearby. </p><p>     “Oh, you’re welcome. I’m sure it’s nice to be back in the saddle again,” Antonio responded. </p><p>     For someone who hadn’t ridden in a while, Marcus had very good posture and soft, supple hands that gently guided Biscuit along. He forced himself to look forward, aware that he was straying away from admiring Marcus’ riding abilities and more towards straight up checking him out. If Seb hadn't hired someone pretty, then he wouldn't be having this problem.</p><p>     "It is. I rode horses as a kid but my parents didn't want me to pursue it anymore after the first time I fell off," Marcus said as they entered the woods.</p><p>     Sunlight filtered through the treetops, and butterflies fluttered around them. Charlemagne let out a relaxed breath and walked along at a decent clip.</p><p>     "Wow, that's taking protectiveness to another level. Have you asked Sebastian about taking lessons or anything? I get a reduced price on them since I work here, I'm sure he'd do the same for you," Antonio asked him. </p><p>     "No, not yet. Maybe I'll bring it up with him later," Marcus answered.</p><p>     They went through the forest and settled into an easy conversation. Antonio found that he quite liked talking to Marcus, and gradually felt himself becoming less shy.</p><p>     They picked up a smooth trot after a few minutes. Charlemagne stretched out and moved nicely, and Antonio would be happy to tell Seb that his horse was in fine condition.</p><p>     Once they were out of the woods and heading back down the road to the barn, they slowed the horses to a walk. Marcus was smiling brightly, and Antonio felt butterflies in his stomach as he watched him stroke Biscuit's neck.</p><p>     He almost felt disappointed when they rode down to the front of the barn and dismounted. It had been enjoyable to hang out with Marcus, and he hoped they could spend more time like that together.</p><p>     When they said goodbye to each other at the end of the day, Antonio sighed and knew he wasn't about to escape his growing feelings for Marcus.</p>
<hr/><p>     Lando wasn't sure what to expect when Max said he was taking him to a tack store, and he was even more unsure when there were two other people in the car when Max picked him up on Saturday. <br/>
     <br/>
     “Hey Lando, these are my friends Alex and George. They ride at the barn too,” Max introduced them as Lando climbed in the passenger seat next to them.</p><p>     Lando turned around momentarily to say hello to them, and he was pleasantly surprised to be included in the jokes and conversations. They were quick to get to know him and he found that he got along with George and Alex very well.</p><p>     The first thing Lando noticed when they stepped into the tack store was the rich scent of leather filling the entire building. He was impressed by the shining saddles and bridles all around, accompanied by many other leather goods he didn’t know the name of. <br/>
     <br/>
     “Wow, I have no idea what most of this stuff even is,” he gushed as Max led him to another section of the store filled with clothes racks and shelves of shoeboxes.</p><p>     “Alex and I have a few things we need to look around for, we’ll meet you guys back here when we’re done,” George announced.</p><p>     He and the other Brit wandered off into aisles of what Lando assumed was horse care products.</p><p>     “Alright, let’s try on a few pair of boots and see what fits. Not the tall boots though, the ones that come up just past the ankles,” Max said with a grin. </p><p>     He and Lando pulled a few boxes marked in Lando’s size off the shelf. It was actually fun to try on different brands and styles of boots, with Lando striking a fabulous pose in the mirror in each pair, which sent Max into hysterics. </p><p>     They narrowed it down to two different pairs, and Lando ended up picking one solely because it was cheaper. </p><p>     Alex and George found them as Max was pulling pairs of breeches off a rack like Lando was his son shopping for school clothes.</p><p>     “I found shampoo that’s got glitter in it and smells like strawberries,” Alex remarked, pulling the bottle out of a bag and showing it off.</p><p>     “Will the glitter even show up on Ribot? I’m pretty sure that stuff is meant for little kids to use on gray and white ponies,” Max snorted as he thrust pairs of pants into Lando’s arms.</p><p>     Alex shrugged, “he’s a buckskin so who knows?” <br/>
     <br/>
     Lando was herded into a dressing room to try the breeches on. He couldn’t see a recognizable difference in some of them, but Max absolutely insisted they were different colours.</p><p>     “They fit alright. How do I look?” He asked, stepping out of the dressing room and letting the three of them inspect him.</p><p>     “You look like a real equestrian now,” Max commented, and Lando smiled.</p><p>     “Hopefully Charles won’t call you a commoner the next time you see him,” George teased.</p><p>     Once he had paid for the breeches and boots, he walked out of the store feeling quite glad that he had decided to dive into the world of horses, even if he was a little scared still. The friends Lando had made and the welcoming atmosphere made him feel like he was part of the community.</p>
<hr/><p>     At his next lesson with Moe, Lando easily fell into a rhythm when grooming him. He even felt confident enough in his abilities to pick up each of the horse’s hooves to scrape the dirt and pebbles out.</p><p>     “Lando, you’ve done an excellent job getting used to being with horses and handling them. You don’t have to say yes to this, but would you like to try getting on the horse next time?” Seb asked once Lando was done brushing, “you don’t even have to ride, you could just get on and get comfortable with sitting on a horse.” <br/>
     <br/>
     His heart skipped a beat and he faintly felt a rush of nervousness flow through him at the thought. Lando breathed in sharply and did his best to push past his anxious thoughts. <br/>
     <br/>
     “Yes, I think I’m ready to try,” he answered with a nod, rubbing Moe’s neck.</p><p>     “That’s great, kid. We’ll start off really simple with Antonio holding Moe on a lead,” Sebastian explained. <br/>
   <br/>
     Lando nodded along, proud of himself for getting so far.</p><p>     Once he had put Moe back in the field with the other horses, Lando wandered over to the arena where Max was finishing up his practice for the day. <br/>
     <br/>
     The Dutchman was letting Rembrandt cool off at the walk, holding the reins loosely in one hand so the horse could stretch his neck down.</p><p>     “How did things go today?” Max asked when he noticed Lando sitting on the fence.</p><p>     “Pretty good. We actually decided that I’m going to try getting on next time,” he answered, smiling when Max let out a gasp.</p><p>     “Really? Lando that’s incredible! I mean, you were too scared to even go near a horse last week,” Max cheered, bringing Rembrandt to a halt.</p><p>     “I know. I’m not sure how it’s gonna go but I’m giving it a try,” Lando said with a strained smile. </p><p>     Max hopped off Rembrandt and said, “just think positive, man. Focus on the good things that could happen, not the bad.” </p><p>     Lando made a mental note of the advice and jumped down from the fence to follow Max and his horse into the barn. He sat on an overturned bucket and watched as Max untacked Rembrandt and washed the sweat off his back.</p><p>     During the horse’s bath, a man with a playful grin and a dapple gray mare next to him stopped by the wash stall.</p><p>     “Hey Maxy, how many times did you fall off today?” the man asked jokingly.</p><p>     Max rolled his eyes and continued to scrub soap down Rembrandt’s legs.</p><p>     “Not as many times as you knocked a rail down today,” Max shot back quickly.</p><p>     “Yikes, good one. Who’s this?” the man asked, turning his attention to Lando with a friendly wave. The horse he was holding bobbed her head and stamped her foot impatiently.</p><p>     “I’m Lando, I’m one of Max’s best friends,” Lando introduced himself. </p><p>     “I’m Daniel, I’m Max’s favorite nuisance,” the Australian responded, “this is my girl Winx, who I’d better get out to the paddock before she runs there without me.” </p><p>     Daniel said his goodbyes and led his horse past them and out to the front of the barn. <br/>
     <br/>
     “So are you friends with that guy?” Lando quipped as Max rinsed the soap off of Rembrandt.</p><p>     “It’s a bit complicated. He and I have ridden together for a long time, and we competed against each other constantly before I decided to focus on dressage instead of show jumping. We talk sometimes and we poke fun at each other like that, but I don’t want to be friends with Daniel,” Max muttered, sternly keeping his eyes on the task at hand.</p><p>     “Why not? I thought he seemed really nice and funny,” Lando pressed further. </p><p>     “I don’t know, he’s just.....irritating,” Max signed in exasperation, gesturing with his hands.</p><p>     When Max looked at him and Lando noticed how bothered and flushed he looked, he put two and two together and exclaimed, “oh my god, you <em>like</em> him Max.”</p><p>  <em>   “I absolutely do not!"</em></p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>will my guy lando get over his horse riding fear :0??  whom knows ;)</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Off the ground</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I've seen a few more equestrian au's being written recently, which helped inspire me to keep on working on this fic. and don't worry, Carlos is gonna finally be introduced in the next chapter. I didn't forget about him or the fact that he and Lando are supposed to end up together by the end of this :)</p><p> most of this wasn't proofread lol</p><p>soooo there was supposed to be a lot more that happened here but these two scenes combined ended up being way longer than intended, so this chapter is just a lando centric one and the other stuff that I had planned for this one will be in the next one lol, which hopefully will be posted not too long after this one :)</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>     Lando knew Max was mad at him. He had avoided him, refused to answer his texts or calls, and that's what Max did when he was mad at somebody. Although he had a feeling that he knew what had made Max avoid him, Lando decided to find out what the definite issue was.</p><p>     Obviously talking to Max directly wouldn't be an option at the moment. Instead, he opted to call Alex, having obtained his and George's numbers after befriending them.</p><p>     "Hey Lando, what's up?" Alex's cheery voice came through the phone after a few rings.</p><p>     "Nothing much, well actually that's not true, I don't know why I said that," Lando said, "basically, Max is mad at me and I think I know why, but I was wondering if you would mind asking him why he's ignoring me?" </p><p>     It was a bit of a long shot to try to get Alex to be a middle man between them. To his delight, Alex did agree to talk to Max and then report back to Lando, and it only took a little bit of convincing and a promise to give Alex a piece of candy the next time he saw him.</p><p>     Half an hour later, a text came through on Lando's phone.</p><p>     <strong>Max wouldn't tell me why, he just said to tell you to come over</strong>, Alex had typed, which made Lando frown. His plan hadn't yielded the answers he was looking for.</p><p>    <strong> hmm alrighty then, tell him I'll be over soon</strong>, Lando texted back. He wasn't too concerned about Max being angry at him, since he was fairly sure the reason why Max was avoiding him wasn't his fault. The Dutchman could definitely be stubborn, though him inviting Lando over was a sign that he was at least ready to talk about it.</p><p>     Lando was out the door just a few minutes later, electing to walk instead of drive. They lived close and the weather was nice out anyways, and he was on Max's family's front porch in no time. There was a moment before anyone came to the door after he knocked.</p><p>     Max, looking very indignant, stood in the doorframe and ushered him inside. They wordlessly made their way to the living room, where Lando sank down onto an armchair and Max sat down next to him, passing him a drink like they normally did when Lando came over.</p><p><strong> </strong>"So, are you done ignoring me?" Lando began, leaning forward and giving Max a small smile.</p><p>     His friend pursed his lips for a moment and nodded. "Yeah, uh, sorry. I'm ready to talk about it though," Max murmured shyly</p><p>     "Okay then, talk. I'm pretty sure I know what you're going to say though," Lando shrugged.</p><p>     A pained look came across Max's face and Lando was concerned he was going to kick him out for a moment.</p><p>     "Look, I got upset with you because you brought up something I am still trying to, I don't know, understand? Come to terms with?" Max began, playing with the edge of his sleeve to avoid looking at his friend.</p><p>     "And that would be?...." Lando tried to encourage him. Max shot him a glare.</p><p>     "How I feel about Daniel," Max groaned, hiding his face in his hands. </p><p>     Although he had been told the story of how they knew one another, Lando didn't understand what Max was so conflicted over. If he was romantically interested in Daniel, then he was into the guy, simple as that. Max had mentioned the fact that they had competed against one another in previous years, but from what Lando had seen at the barn, they were friendly enough to each other now and Daniel seemed like he harbored no resentment against Max.</p><p>     "Man, I don't get why you seem so, I don't know, <em>angry </em>that you like the guy. Are you really still not over a childhood sports rivalry? It can't be that big of a deal still," Lando pressed further.</p><p>     "Yes it is still a big deal to me," Max snapped. He seemed taken aback by his own fierce tone and started again more calmly, "What I mean is that us competing against each other used to be this big huge deal. For years I was constantly trying to beat him every weekend at shows, from when I was a kid up until I was in my teens and decided to take up dressage instead of showjumping. You know how competitive I am, and that rivalry between us never really faded for me. I still feel like I have to somehow show that guy up, but now my stupid heart wants to like, hold his hand and shit."</p><p>     Lando nodded and listened intently. What Max had said about being competitive was certainly true and something Lando had been witness to many times, including at his twelfth birthday party and every time they played video games together.</p><p>     "That's...quite a lot to process. So you feel like you can't get over the competition that used to exist between you guys, and it's making you have a hard time coping with the fact that you like him?" Lando asked, starting to understand a bit more.</p><p>     "Yeah, that's the best way to summarize it," Max sighed, "Lando what the hell should I do? I hate feeling like this." </p><p>     The sad look on his face and the pleading tone of his voice made Lando feel bad for him. It wasn't like Max to seem so worked up to the point of asking for his advice. </p><p>     "Well, you could start by talking to him about everything. Tell him that you like him but also that you're still stuck on how things once were between you guys," Lando advised, going by what he would do in that situation.</p><p>     "No, I can't talk to him about this right now when I barely understand it myself," Max stubbornly refused.</p><p>     Lando knew there was no way for him to convince him otherwise and thought about what to say. An idea came to him, and he hoped Max wouldn’t instantly refute it.</p><p>     “Maybe you should consider talking to a therapist about it first. That could help you figure out your feelings towards him and help you get over your rivalry," Lando suggested, extending a hand to put it on Max's shoulder.</p><p>     Max shook his head as Lando expected him to do. "No, I'm not talking to a therapist about something stupid and embarrassing like this. And I don't need therapy, what would that accomplish?" he whined.</p><p>     "Oh, I don't know, solving your pent up issues and emotional confusion stemming from your overly competitive nature that's carried on since childhood?" Lando sighed.</p><p>     His friend glanced at him with an astonished look.</p><p>     "...point taken. I'll think about it, but for now I don't want to talk about it anymore. Can we talk about your love life disasters instead?" complained Max, firmly looking at the floor instead.</p><p>     "There's not that much to talk about there," Lando laughed, feeling the tension of the conversation slip away.</p><p>     "Exactly! You've been single and lonely for too long man, it's time you found somebody or at least got laid," Max said, winking at him when he flushed a crimson red and folded his arms.</p><p>     "Jesus Max, you don't need to meddle with my love life and you especially don't need to meddle with my sex life. Besides, I don't know anyone who I'd want to do either of those things with at the moment," Lando curtly told him.</p><p>     With a twinkle in his eye, Max smiled at him and said, "you never know when someone interesting will walk into your life."</p><p>     They hung out for a while longer until Lando was called to come home, and on his way out the door he hollered over his shoulder, "hey, think some more about what I said about therapy, I think it would be helpful for you."</p><p>     "I will. Thanks for listening though, I know I'm bad at talking about my problems but I appreciate it a lot," Max said, waving as Lando walked down the sidewalk.</p><p>     The young Brit sighed and looked around the street as he wandered on home, wishing he could do more to help Max. The two of them had been friends for a long time and he knew how bothered Max was with his crush on Daniel and his lingering feelings of dislike for the Australian after years of competing. That type of conflict was something that Lando couldn't help him much with, and he sincerely wished Max would consider working his feelings out with a professional.</p><p>     It occurred to him that he didn't know Daniel that well, and he wondered if he was still stuck on their past together the way Max was. Given the way he was friendly and joked around easily with Max, he got the feeling that the answer was no. An idea came to him and he dialed up Alex again once he was home.</p><p>     "Do I need to be a middleman for you two again?" Alex asked upon answering.</p><p>     "No, don't worry, things went alright with him. I actually was wondering if you had Daniel's number?" Lando questioned.</p><p>    "Yeah, do you want me to text it to you?" Alex questioned.</p><p>     Lando eagerly said yes. He saved Daniel's contact information but decided he wouldn't talk to him that night. He needed time to think of what to ask him and how to further convince Max to talk to a counselor. In the meantime, he also had to prepare himself for the next day, where he was supposed to get on a horse for the first time in his life.</p>
<hr/><p>     From the moment he woke up in a cold sweat, Lando considered calling Sebastian and cancelling his lesson and never setting foot near a horse again. It was the day he was to get on a horse for the first time, and he did not feel ready. He could barely eat breakfast without feeling like he was going to throw up. His mother seemed concerned and did her best to comfort him, even offering to go with him.</p><p>     Of course, he knew he couldn't cancel. Lando had promised Seb, Max, and himself that he was going to give it his best try, and he was going to get on that horse even if he nearly peed on himself over it. He kept repeating what he had been told before, to focus on the good things that could happen instead of the bad.</p><p>     The list of bad things that could happen was quite long. The horse could spook and dump him off the side, or his shoe could get caught in the stirrup and he'd end up dragged around, or he could fall off and land at an awkward angle and break his femur, or the horse could buck and he'd smack his nose on the crest of it's neck, the amount of ways he could get hurt or possibly die was countless.</p><p>     On the other hand, there was the possibility that none of that happened, and instead things went well. He could end up sitting nicely on a horse, maybe even being brave enough to take a few steps. Lando took some controlled breaths and forced himself to focus on that thought as he got dressed. </p><p>     Alex and George were taking him to the barn, since Max had gone for his own lesson earlier. Lando easily could have driven himself, but he didn't trust himself to not accidentally run off the road from his nervousness. </p><p>     Just as he was putting on his boots, there was a knock at the door and George and Alex came bounding into the house a few seconds later. The two of them were very talkative as they drove, and didn't seem to notice how quiet Lando was at first.</p><p>     "Hey, what's got you so quiet back there?" George asked. He wasn't the one driving so he was free to turn around and look back at Lando.</p><p>     "I'm terrified," he squeaked, "I keep trying to think positive but I am so scared of even sitting on a horse." Lando sat with his hands folded and his knuckles white from the vice grip he had on himself.</p><p>     George gave him a sympathetic smile and said, "you're riding Moe right? You don't have to worry about anything with him man, all the little kids ride him. He's so calm and if a toddler can ride him with no problem, you can too." </p><p>     "I learned to ride on him when I was a kid. George is right, Moe's gonna take good care of you. I rode him at my very first horse show, and he didn't even spook at a car horn going off," Alex chimed in, glancing at him in the rear view mirror.</p><p>     As nice as it was to hear that he didn't have to worry about the horse spooking, there was something embarrassing about being told he was essentially the same as a toddler, which to be fair was true when it came to his riding abilities.</p><p>     “I know, I’ve just got this irrational fear of something going wrong. I used to be scared of even going near horses and now I can do that perfectly fine, but I’m still terrified of riding,” Lando continued, feeling a bit embarrassed. They turned the corner to pull onto the dirt road of the farm, and he counted his breaths in attempt to calm his heart.</p><p>     "Can I give you a bit of advice?" George began calmly, and Lando nodded his head.</p><p>     "Anxiety doesn't go away easily, and you have to work to overcome it. If you want to be able to ride without being scared, you have to do it in fear a couple times. Trust the horse, trust Sebastian and Antonio, and most importantly, <em>trust yourself</em>," George advised him with a genuine tone of concern.</p><p>     Lando nodded his head and exhaled slowly. What George said rang in his head; he wasn't sure if his anxiety stemmed from not trusting the horse or not trusting himself. From his past few trips to the barn and from what everybody had said, he knew Moe was a reliable and quiet horse. </p><p>     But he didn't know about himself. Could he get on a horse without crying? Why was he so focused on all the bad things that could happen? Lando took another deep breath and made up his mind that he was going to do it no matter how much the scared little voice in the back of his head told him he couldn't do it.</p><p>     Once they were at the stables, Alex and George each gave him a tight hug and tried to hype him up as best as possible.</p><p>     He appreciated it, even if it felt a little overkill for just sitting on a horse. The two had become his good friends rather quickly, and he was glad to have someone other than Max to hang out with.</p><p>     "George and I are going to practice going over some fences today. We'll see you in a few hours, and remember to breath!" Alex called over his shoulder as he and George went to get their horses, waving and giving Lando an encouraging smile.</p><p>     "I'll try my best," Lando laughed. His nerves had calmed down a bit after the talk with his friends, and he was starting to feel like maybe he wasn't going to die the second he made contact with a saddle. </p><p>     He went into the barn to find Moe's halter. Once he had it in hand, Lando strode back out to the field to get the horse. Moe stood and patiently waited for him to come to him, and Lando stroked his soft nose when he put the halter on.</p><p>     As he was brushing Moe down in the aisle of the barn, Sebastian approached with a bridle in hand.</p><p>     "Good to see you Lando. Are you ready to get on today?" he asked, hanging the bridle over a hook on the wall.</p><p>     "Yes, I think so. I'm still a bit nervous though," Lando answered, brushing Moe's hind legs with a stiff brush.</p><p>     "Alright then, I'll have Antonio grab his saddle and we'll show you how to tack up a horse," Seb said with a smile.</p><p>     The Italian appeared soon after with a gleaming English saddle and two white pads in his hands. Lando watched intently as Antonio showed him how to properly put the saddle pads on the horse, with a broad one going on first and a thinner pad in the shape of the saddle going on second.</p><p>     Lando himself got to put on the saddle. It was heavier and sturdier than he imagined it would be, with the rich leather clearly having been well cared for. He carefully placed the saddle on Moe's back and Antonio helped him fit it in the right place. Being so absorbed in the task nearly made Lando forget entirely about his fears.</p><p>     Together they fitted they tightened the girth, making sure the saddle was snug on the horse's back. Seb went to find a helmet for Lando while Antonio put Moe's bridle on, explaining how to get him to take the bit in his mouth and how to adjust everything to fit perfectly.</p><p>     When Sea handed him a helmet, Lando felt a shiver run down his spine. His anxiety flared up again, and he tried not to let it show as he clipped the helmet on and took the reins from Antonio, who grabbed a lead before they all made their way out of the barn.</p><p>     "Like I said last time, our goal is to just have you sit on him, you don't even have to walk around if you don't want to," Seb said, holding the gate to one of the arenas open. </p><p>     Lando led Moe inside and walked him in a few circles, looking down at the sandy footing of the arena. It looked uncomfortable to land on if one fell off a horse, then again there wasn't anything that would make a fall comfortable he figured. </p><p>     "Let's give it a shot then. Come over here and Antonio will take hold of him," Sebastian called to him. </p><p>     He led Moe over to where the trainer and the stablehand stood, feeling his heart speed up with anxiety. Moe wasn't a very tall horse, nor was he very energetic, so much that he preferred to shuffle along at a lazy pace and nearly fell asleep at the walk sometimes. Lando kept telling himself this, along with everything his friends had told him.</p><p>     His anxiety must have been not very well hidden, as Antonio murmured to him, "you can do it, I'll be holding onto him right next to you," when he clipped a lead to the bridle.</p><p>     Moe stood perfectly still and Seb dragged over a mounting block from one corner of the arena. Lando's palms felt damp and he was sure he was going to fall over given how weak his legs felt. Antonio fixed the stirrups on the saddle and then it was time for him to face his life's biggest fear.</p><p>     "No pressure Lando, we're both here for you," Seb reassured him. </p><p>     With a shaky inhale, Lando wobbled up onto the last step of the mounting block. All he had to do was swing his leg over and sit up. It seemed simple enough in theory. In practice though, it was to Lando like climbing a mountain with no foreseeable peak.</p><p>     "Breath, kid, and believe in yourself," he heard Seb say from where he stood next to Moe's head. Antonio was on the other side, stroking Moe's neck and keeping a snug hold on the lead. </p><p>     Lando squeezed his eyes shut for a moment. Max and Alex and George and everyone else he had seen ride made it look so easy, and here he was trembling at the thought of getting on a horse.</p><p>     Damn it, if he didn't try now, he wasn't sure if he would ever be able to. Lando gritted his teeth with determination and went for it.</p><p>     In a quick motion, Lando swung his leg over and seated himself in the saddle, keeping his back straight and his shoulders back as Max had told him too.</p><p>     There he was, sitting on a horse.</p><p>     "You're doing a fine job. I'll help you pick up your stirrups," Sebastian praised him. Lando gripped the reins just beyond the buckle, tensely sitting as Seb pushed the toe of his boots into the stirrups. He hadn't died or thrown up or cried yet, and Moe was standing quietly.</p><p>     Looking down at the ground was a mistake however, and Lando felt higher off the ground than he ever had in his life. His breath caught in his throat and he felt shaky once more. Antonio stepped closer towards him and put a hand on his leg, trying to make him feel more secure.</p><p>     "Put your heels down and keep your knees bent slightly. Do you want to try taking a few steps?" Seb instructed. Lando did as he said but shook his head quickly. Walking was too nerve wracking for him.</p><p>     "That's ok, we'll just sit here for a minute or two," Seb said, and Lando shifted in the saddle, the feeling foreign to him. Time seemed to slow down as he sat on Moe's back, the old horse standing like a statue.</p><p>     The anxiety in his stomach settled a bit, though his heart didn't calm down. Sitting on a horse wasn't so bad. Still nerve wracking, but not that bad. </p><p>     When a few quiet minutes had past, Sebastian and Antonio held Moe as Lando dropped his stirrups and swung his leg back over the horse's hindquarters. His feet hit the stool and he felt relief flooding through him, back on solid ground without the threat of falling off a horse.</p><p>     Lando didn't know what came over him but there were tears falling down his cheeks as he stepped onto the ground and nearly collapse, placing his hands on his knees and looking down at his shoes. He silently cried, whether it was from anxiety or relief he wasn't sure.</p><p>     Somebody was putting an arm around him and pulling him up from the ground the next moment, and he looked through teary eyes up at Seb, who was rubbing his shoulder.</p><p>     "Hey, shh, what's wrong? You did very well, you got on a horse when you were too scared to just a few weeks ago," he tried to soothe him, letting Lando lean against him.</p><p>     Lando hiccuped and tried to wipe his nose on his arm. "I don't know, I was really scared and thought I wouldn't be able to do it but I did," he choked out, still not entirely sure what had him so worked up.</p><p>     "And you did a great job. Why don't you go get a drink of water and sit down? Antonio and I can take care of Moe," Seb suggested.</p><p>     All Lando could do was nod and mumble a thanks. He walked out of the arena, hearing Seb and Antonio leading the horse out a few paces behind him. His feet carried him into the feed room, where he sat on a bench and sipped from a water bottle.</p><p>     It was very quiet with nobody else in the room, and he eventually calmed down and dried his cheeks. Lando felt proud of himself despite his crying: he had set his mind to sitting on a horse and sit on a horse he had done.</p><p>     There was the sound of the door creaking open and Lando was about to be very embarrassed until he saw Max, who looked equally as surprised as he was.</p><p>     Max was carrying his saddle, which he set down before taking a seat next to Lando and asking, "what happened? It looks like you were crying."</p><p>     "I got on the horse, Max. I didn't feel ready to actually ride yet so I just sat on him for a few minutes, and I got a bit overwhelmed once I got off," Lando told him, smiling.</p><p>     "I'm really proud of you. It may not feel like a lot but you've made great progress and you'll be riding in no time," Max cheered, nudging him affectionately with his elbow. </p><p>     They talked for a few more minutes until Max had to leave, and by then Lando felt fine and a lot more hopeful about the next time he would try and get on.</p><p>     Wandering out of the feed room, he glanced around the barn to see if George and Alex were back in yet. They weren't, so he walked out of the barn and surveyed the different fields and arenas until his saw them. As they had told him earlier, the two of them were flying over fences together, and Lando ran up to sit on the fence of the arena and watch.</p><p>     Both Alex and George seemed to work in harmony with their horses, gliding easily over each jump and clearing the rails perfectly. The horses tucked their legs neatly underneath them and gracefully changed leads on the fly, and Lando wished he could ride like that someday.</p><p>     He was pulled out of his thoughts by someone climbing up onto the fence next to him. Lando was surprised to see Charles next to him, dressed perfectly spotless and with his lipgloss and mascara on like the first time they had met.</p><p>     "Hey Charles, did you ride today?" he asked, hoping he could have a regular conversation with the guy who talked down on his ducky rain boots.</p><p>     "Yes, I can't slack off before competition season starts. Ah, who are you again?" Charles replied, eyeing Lando through his expensive-looking sunglasses.</p><p>     "Oh I'm Lando, you thought I worked here and asked me to wash your horse," Lando chuckled awkwardly. He stared forward and tried to focus on his friends and their horses. The shine from a bracelet on Charles' wrist was too bright for him to look at.</p><p>     "Hm, sorry about that, sometimes it's hard to tell who's the help around here," Charles sighed, crossing his legs.</p><p>     As Alex cantered by, Charles leaned forward slightly and pulled his sunglasses down the bridge of his nose, watching closely. Lando raised an eyebrow and glanced at him from the corner of his eye, not missing the way his glossy lips parted while he gazed. </p><p>     A funny thought crossed his mind and Lando tried not to laugh. His thoughts were interrupted yet another person joining them on the fence, a boy who sat next to Charles and started whispering with him. </p><p>     Lando couldn't understand the language they spoke in, which he guessed was French. They giggled and pointed at Alex, and Lando wished he could know what they were saying. It almost seemed like they were making fun of him, which made Lando wary.</p><p>     Charles noticed him looking over at them and said, "Lando this is my friend Pierre, don't mind us." </p><p>     Pierre waved at him and Lando waved back, finding that he didn't seem as catty as Charles was. No lipgloss or mascara or perfectly painted nails, and his clothes actually showed signs of having been around a horse. He wondered how the two of them became friends.</p><p>     George and Alex slowed their horses to a walk and let them stretch their necks down.</p><p>     "I see we've amassed quite the audience over here," George laughed, walking by the side of the fence where the three of them sat. Alex walked close behind, stroking Ribot's neck and praising the horse.</p><p>     "Alexander!" Charles shouted when the man in question rode by. </p><p>     Alex slowed to a halt, holding the reins on the buckle and responding with, "what's up?" He sounded slightly out of breath from riding.</p><p>     “Where are your gloves?” the boy fussed in regards to Alex’s hands, which were bare. </p><p>     “Oh, the stitches started coming undone on one of them so I just rode without them today," Alex confessed.</p><p>     "Don't do that, you'll end up getting blisters on your hands!" Charles cried, pouting and staring at him through his thick eyelashes.</p><p>     Lando rolled his eyes and wondered if Alex knew how much Charles seemed to fawn over him.</p><p>     Once the two were done riding and had taken care of the horses, they piled into Alex's car with Lando in the back once again and made their way home. The entire story of Lando getting on the horse and crying afterwards was told, to which Alex and George both comforted him profusely and assured him that it would be easier the next time. </p><p>     To their credit, it was easier for him to physically get on the horse again. However, his nervousness never quite left, and he ended up only being able to sit on Moe's back during his next few lessons. It felt discouraging to him even if he was making progress in that he was at least able to get on a horse. After the fourth lesson of not feeling capable of riding, Lando wondered if it was worth it to keep on trying.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>im gonna hustle on the next chapter so that I can get what was supposed to go in this chapter out soon sksjsjs<br/>im so sorry if this one felt rushed or choppy, I always end up way late on updating this and didn't proofread much of it.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>6. ~a lil update~</h2></a>
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    <p>Hi! 🥺 as y'all have noticed this fic was last updated six months ago! please know that I do plan to finish it someday, I just decided to take a break on it since I wanted to finish a different multi-chapter au before I work more on this :) I know a lot of folks love this fic and I love it too so just know that I plan to work on this once more when I finish the other au ❤️ just wanted to put a little update on this one since its been literally six months since I updated it.</p><p>*when I get back to writing this fic, I'll delete this placeholder chapter*</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>you can find me on Tumblr @esteboo-ocon</p></blockquote></div></div>
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